At the start of this journey, I never thought that we would make it to this day ~ 6 weeks seemed like forever to us. Well, we made it! :) On Friday Lauren will be taken to the OR to have her body cast removed and a new spica cast put on. This new cast however, will now only go to above her knees, I will finally get to see her little legs again! Then, our new 6 week countdown will start!
Over the course of the past 6 weeks I have learnt so much about Lauren and even more so about myself. As parents, we perceive things to be weighted more than they are ~ I felt that in the beginning Lauren took to this whole new situation far too easily and I needed to be the one to grieve the loss of her mobility for her. It took about 2 weeks for me to get over the fact that this was happening and that really, it wasn't making much of a difference to her quality of life and that she was ok. Lauren was still the happy go lucky little girl that wanted to be loved, played with and cuddled. I had said from the start of this journey that as long as she was doing ok, I would be ok with everything going on, but I wasn't. Why did my child have to be different than all of the other children? Why can't she run and jump and play like the rest? At the end of the day I needed to realize that this was more of a frustration to me and not her! Lauren loves being carried around, watching and laughing when other kids are being silly and she really hasn't been too bothered that she can't run after anyone with her own two feet. Even though I had been told many times that she was going to be fine throughout this process, I had to accept that all of this was ok, it isn't forever, it is just for a short period of time in our lives and that eventually we will go back to our old "normal". And more importantly, we are doing this so that she can run around, jump all over the place and keep up with the other kids without pain in her hips, back or legs. So, I now make sure that we focus on the positive, such as the things we can do together. Lauren and I still twirl and dance together, we still sing goofy songs together, chat back and both like we both know what each other is saying, we belly laugh at each other while playing and I recognize that this is still the same little girl behind the fiberglass cast ~ she's still my little princess. Finally getting to this place doesn't make this journey any shorter, it's still going to be a long one with windy roads; only now we make sure that each day is filled with fun activities, friends and family and lots of love and cuddles! :)
One big positive out of all of this is, since being casted, we have noticed that because Lauren isn't able to work on her gross motor skills, her fine motor skill and language have both developed quiet rapidly over the past few weeks. She is now able to play and entertain herself for longer periods of time while sitting at her table, use a fork or spoon to feed herself and she can now count to 7 (with a little help)!!! Her new favorite word Grandma taught her is "yellow" ~ she loves to say it with her little lips all squished together, it is too cute!
As a family and with the support of our extended family and friends, we are getting through this one day at a time! Thanks to everyone who has supported us over the past 6 weeks!!
Our Kids
Our Family
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
...4 Weeks Down...
It's hard to believe that Lauren has been casted for 4 weeks now! We are getting excited for this upcoming cast change (2 weeks away) not only because of the new freedom Lauren will have, but because of the nice clean fresh scent it will bring as well! :) As some of you know I am a little, tiny bit crazy when it comes to keeping things clean and tidy and as well as the cast has held up from my daily washes and scrubbing with a toothbrush, it is time for a fresh start! We will hopefully have details on when the OR booking will be by next week!
This Friday Lauren will be meeting with a certified Infant Development Consultant. When we were originally offered this service by our community health nurse I jumped on it. This consultant will come to our house and assess Lauren and make sure that when needed she is referred to physio, they will work with Lauren to help advance her in other areas of development and also work with us to help adapt play for her (we've already done that, but any extra help would be appreciated). Garry and I figured if we are going to be offered extra resources within the community why not jump on it!
It's amazing that the horrible image of what I thought our life was going to be with Lauren casted really hasn't happened. We have had to make adjustments to how we do things throughout the day; however we have been able to adapt most activities to accommodate her cast. It really isn't as bad as I thought. For instance, we didn't think that eating out would have been an option for us while Lauren is in this particular cast because she doesn't fit in a conventional highchair. Well, with a little creativity and the eyes of a wonderful friend that loves to shop, we were able to adapt a portable cloth high chair seat for Lauren to sit in. Once secured to the chair, we place 2 phone books under where her bottom would go so that she is elevated and her legs are accommodated. Here is a web picture of what it looks like; however, I will post a picture of Lauren in the harness in a few days.
Our little man is growing up too quickly. While at the Dr's last week for his two month shots, we found out that he is now 13pd 12oz! That is a pound heavier than Lauren at this age!! Brayden has just blended into this family wonderfully, he is such an easy going baby that just loves to snuggle, smile and eat. It's weird that I honestly can't imagine life without him now, it feels like he has always been a part of our family.
This past weekend was a special weekend for Brayden ~ it was his Baptism! We figured that Lauren had a special Baptism date ~ Father's Day, so it seemed appropriate for Brayden's special event to fall on a holiday weekend ~ Thanksgiving! Brayden did wonderfully and didn't make a peep while up at the front of the Church, we were so proud of him! I think it is pretty special that Lauren, Logan (cousin) and now Brayden have all been baptized at the same Church as Heather (sister) and I; there is a lot of family history in that Church and I hope it continues for many years to come! Our Church family has been such a wonderful support to us, specially over the past few months.
After Brayden's Baptism on Sunday our family came back to our place for a ham lunch. After lunch we decided to head outside to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and take the kids for a walk. While on our walk my brother in law suggested we take this photo with all the kids - I love it and thought it was just too cute and needed to be posted - enjoy!
Abbey Road Jr.
This Friday Lauren will be meeting with a certified Infant Development Consultant. When we were originally offered this service by our community health nurse I jumped on it. This consultant will come to our house and assess Lauren and make sure that when needed she is referred to physio, they will work with Lauren to help advance her in other areas of development and also work with us to help adapt play for her (we've already done that, but any extra help would be appreciated). Garry and I figured if we are going to be offered extra resources within the community why not jump on it!
It's amazing that the horrible image of what I thought our life was going to be with Lauren casted really hasn't happened. We have had to make adjustments to how we do things throughout the day; however we have been able to adapt most activities to accommodate her cast. It really isn't as bad as I thought. For instance, we didn't think that eating out would have been an option for us while Lauren is in this particular cast because she doesn't fit in a conventional highchair. Well, with a little creativity and the eyes of a wonderful friend that loves to shop, we were able to adapt a portable cloth high chair seat for Lauren to sit in. Once secured to the chair, we place 2 phone books under where her bottom would go so that she is elevated and her legs are accommodated. Here is a web picture of what it looks like; however, I will post a picture of Lauren in the harness in a few days.
Our little man is growing up too quickly. While at the Dr's last week for his two month shots, we found out that he is now 13pd 12oz! That is a pound heavier than Lauren at this age!! Brayden has just blended into this family wonderfully, he is such an easy going baby that just loves to snuggle, smile and eat. It's weird that I honestly can't imagine life without him now, it feels like he has always been a part of our family.
This past weekend was a special weekend for Brayden ~ it was his Baptism! We figured that Lauren had a special Baptism date ~ Father's Day, so it seemed appropriate for Brayden's special event to fall on a holiday weekend ~ Thanksgiving! Brayden did wonderfully and didn't make a peep while up at the front of the Church, we were so proud of him! I think it is pretty special that Lauren, Logan (cousin) and now Brayden have all been baptized at the same Church as Heather (sister) and I; there is a lot of family history in that Church and I hope it continues for many years to come! Our Church family has been such a wonderful support to us, specially over the past few months.
After Brayden's Baptism on Sunday our family came back to our place for a ham lunch. After lunch we decided to head outside to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and take the kids for a walk. While on our walk my brother in law suggested we take this photo with all the kids - I love it and thought it was just too cute and needed to be posted - enjoy!
Abbey Road Jr.
Thursday, 6 October 2011
...Half way through the first cast...
Wow, when I first thought about making it to this halfway point it seemed so far away!
So, today Lauren celebrated her 3 week mark by taking a 3 hr nap and then having an awesome playdate with GG (Great Grandma); I however chose to celebrate with a nice glass of red wine!
The kids have just been awesome lately. Little Brayden put himself on such a great schedule a couple weeks ago, he is off to sleep around 8:30-9:00pm and then up around 4:30am for a feed, right back down and then up around 7ish. He is such an easy going baby, lots of smiles and cooing during the day and wonderful snuggles in the evening! I am really enjoying every moment with him, it's so different with the second baby - in a good way!
We have been keeping Lauren pretty busy with playdates, outings, walks and shopping! She has fully adapted to having this cast on and is just enjoying what she is able too, I am still shocked how well she is doing! Lauren was sick over the weekend with a fever/flu so we stayed pretty close to home and once that cleared up she came down with a cold, hopefully the cold will pass quickly!
It's amazing how Lauren is still able to move herself around with that heavy cast. Garry and I were shocked to see her at the other side of her crib this morning - with the nursing pillow still under her legs! And, while placing her on her tummy on the ground she is able to move in a circle motion and get around to grab stuff. It will be interesting to see what she is able to do with the next cast since it will only go to above the knee.
It's nice to finally feel like we are settling into a routine and we are on the road to getting our little girl all fixed up. Although I still wonder why it was us that had to go through this and the life lessons that will come out of all of this - I am grateful that Lauren was diagnosed when she was, as the timing couldn't have been better for Garry and I!
So, today Lauren celebrated her 3 week mark by taking a 3 hr nap and then having an awesome playdate with GG (Great Grandma); I however chose to celebrate with a nice glass of red wine!
The kids have just been awesome lately. Little Brayden put himself on such a great schedule a couple weeks ago, he is off to sleep around 8:30-9:00pm and then up around 4:30am for a feed, right back down and then up around 7ish. He is such an easy going baby, lots of smiles and cooing during the day and wonderful snuggles in the evening! I am really enjoying every moment with him, it's so different with the second baby - in a good way!
We have been keeping Lauren pretty busy with playdates, outings, walks and shopping! She has fully adapted to having this cast on and is just enjoying what she is able too, I am still shocked how well she is doing! Lauren was sick over the weekend with a fever/flu so we stayed pretty close to home and once that cleared up she came down with a cold, hopefully the cold will pass quickly!
It's amazing how Lauren is still able to move herself around with that heavy cast. Garry and I were shocked to see her at the other side of her crib this morning - with the nursing pillow still under her legs! And, while placing her on her tummy on the ground she is able to move in a circle motion and get around to grab stuff. It will be interesting to see what she is able to do with the next cast since it will only go to above the knee.
It's nice to finally feel like we are settling into a routine and we are on the road to getting our little girl all fixed up. Although I still wonder why it was us that had to go through this and the life lessons that will come out of all of this - I am grateful that Lauren was diagnosed when she was, as the timing couldn't have been better for Garry and I!
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
...2 Week Mark...
Wow, the days just seem to be flying by! We are already thinking about OR dates for Lauren's cast change! I can't believe we hit the two week mark already! It truly is amazing to see how quickly Lauren was able to adapt to being in that very restrictive body cast!
Over the past week we have kept Lauren so busy and that really seems to be the key to success! A tired baby sleeps awesome! :)
Even with the downpour of rain on Monday, Lauren, Auntie, Grandma and cousin Logan ventured off to the Science Center for a fun day outing. Apparently Lauren had such a blast checking out all of the cool stuff there! I heard that it was a little crazy at times for Auntie and Grandma, but it sounds like a good time was had by all. Lauren came home excited to see Daddy, but even more excited to see her crib and enjoy a 2 1/2hr nap! :)
My stomach had been in knots just thinking about Tuesday Sept. 27th. This was the day that Brayden was to be checked for CDH or DDH, as it can be hereditary, and Lauren required her two week post op follow up appointment with the surgeon. It was back to back appointments for us at Children's, first Brayden's ultrasound, then Lauren's x-ray, followed by a consult with our Dr to review both scans.
Brayden and I sat in the waiting room of Radiology waiting for our name to be called while Lauren played in the main playroom area of the hospital with Daddy and Grandma. The white walls of Radiology, as well as the rest of the hospital, are all to familiar to our family having been through everything with Nevan. About 20mins later we were called into a dark room where I was asked to unclothe and hold Brayden's legs while the scan was done. The ultrasound tech then left and we waiting for the radiologist to come and do a stress test and further scans on his little hips. My little man was far more calm that I during the whole appointment, he just enjoyed looking around the room and sucking away on his soother, I on the other hand was trying to be calm and patient; however that wasn't working too well for me. I must have driven the ladies crazy because after each side was done I was asking "is it normal looking? Is everything ok?" They were so kind and understanding and after the appointment was complete we got a the best comment from the radiologist "those are some great looking hips!". Ok, I could breathe, Brayden was good!
We then rushed over to the old building where the Ortho Clinic is to have Lauren's hips x-rayed. I have to say that because she is casted it makes it pretty easy from a positioning standpoint; however not from an emotional standpoint. Lauren and I walked into the x-ray room and it wasn't even two seconds before she was pointing to the door and crying out. I laid her little shaking body down on the x-ray table and a minute later we were done! Lauren settled and gladly said "bye bye" to the ladies in the x-ray room!
As we waited for our Dr to review the kids scans with us I walked the halls with Lauren, trying to keep her calm and her little mind stimulated. I was stopped halfway down the hall by another Mom who asked me about Lauren's cast. She introduced herself as a Mom of a 7 year old daughter with bilateral DDH/CDH, meaning that both hips were once out and had been since birth! I was in shock, it wasn't caught on this little girl until she was 2 days away from turning 7. Garry and I were in awe of what the family had been through. After a diagnosis at Children's hospital, the family flew to Sick Kids for a second opinion and ended up with a far better success rate in Ontario, so they moved the family there for approximately 7 months to have each hip reduced separately in an "Open Reduction". Typically after age 5-6 Dr's won't operate on Children that have gone undiagnosed. Further to that, if one of this little girls hips had taken and the other one hadn't, they would have had to do another operation to dislocate the working hip as there is only 1 chance at getting it working correctly! Wow, this little girl was now running and jumping and back to enjoying 7 year old life -so awesome! It was so nice to speak with another Mom and hear about her journey and a tough journey at that! While us parents were talking I looked over to check on Lauren who was sitting on my Mom's lap and that same little girl had started reading a book to Lauren - it was just far too cute!
Our Dr was finally ready for us, we first reviewed Brayden's ultrasound scans together. He was happy with the results and after a little check on Brayden's hips himself, he said he is all clear! We don't need to do any follow up on him until he is 2!
The last hurdle was to see if everything was ok with Lauren's x-ray and if her hip was still in the socket and in the correct position. I was so nervous reviewing the image with our Dr, if the hip was out it would be an emergency trip to the ER, repositioning of the hip, then re casting. Within about 1 min he said that he was very happy with her hip position and everything was looking great! YES!! Good news for both kids. Apparently if the hip was to dislocate it would have done it in these first few weeks. He then went on to say that he is trying to get OR time for the end of Oct as everything looks so good he doesn't want to wait till early Nov (his assistant already had time avail in Nov) to remove this cast. As well, the next cast will be far less restrictive and that things will be a little more normal with the next cast, she will be able to move from her knees down, she'll be able to wiggle a bit more and possibly stand!
Even though Garry and I both left the hospital feeling exhausted emotionally and physically, we left with all good news. Little Brayden isn't going to need to be placed in a harness and little Lauren is mending great! Our prayers were answered!
Over the past week we have kept Lauren so busy and that really seems to be the key to success! A tired baby sleeps awesome! :)
Even with the downpour of rain on Monday, Lauren, Auntie, Grandma and cousin Logan ventured off to the Science Center for a fun day outing. Apparently Lauren had such a blast checking out all of the cool stuff there! I heard that it was a little crazy at times for Auntie and Grandma, but it sounds like a good time was had by all. Lauren came home excited to see Daddy, but even more excited to see her crib and enjoy a 2 1/2hr nap! :)
My stomach had been in knots just thinking about Tuesday Sept. 27th. This was the day that Brayden was to be checked for CDH or DDH, as it can be hereditary, and Lauren required her two week post op follow up appointment with the surgeon. It was back to back appointments for us at Children's, first Brayden's ultrasound, then Lauren's x-ray, followed by a consult with our Dr to review both scans.
Brayden and I sat in the waiting room of Radiology waiting for our name to be called while Lauren played in the main playroom area of the hospital with Daddy and Grandma. The white walls of Radiology, as well as the rest of the hospital, are all to familiar to our family having been through everything with Nevan. About 20mins later we were called into a dark room where I was asked to unclothe and hold Brayden's legs while the scan was done. The ultrasound tech then left and we waiting for the radiologist to come and do a stress test and further scans on his little hips. My little man was far more calm that I during the whole appointment, he just enjoyed looking around the room and sucking away on his soother, I on the other hand was trying to be calm and patient; however that wasn't working too well for me. I must have driven the ladies crazy because after each side was done I was asking "is it normal looking? Is everything ok?" They were so kind and understanding and after the appointment was complete we got a the best comment from the radiologist "those are some great looking hips!". Ok, I could breathe, Brayden was good!
We then rushed over to the old building where the Ortho Clinic is to have Lauren's hips x-rayed. I have to say that because she is casted it makes it pretty easy from a positioning standpoint; however not from an emotional standpoint. Lauren and I walked into the x-ray room and it wasn't even two seconds before she was pointing to the door and crying out. I laid her little shaking body down on the x-ray table and a minute later we were done! Lauren settled and gladly said "bye bye" to the ladies in the x-ray room!
As we waited for our Dr to review the kids scans with us I walked the halls with Lauren, trying to keep her calm and her little mind stimulated. I was stopped halfway down the hall by another Mom who asked me about Lauren's cast. She introduced herself as a Mom of a 7 year old daughter with bilateral DDH/CDH, meaning that both hips were once out and had been since birth! I was in shock, it wasn't caught on this little girl until she was 2 days away from turning 7. Garry and I were in awe of what the family had been through. After a diagnosis at Children's hospital, the family flew to Sick Kids for a second opinion and ended up with a far better success rate in Ontario, so they moved the family there for approximately 7 months to have each hip reduced separately in an "Open Reduction". Typically after age 5-6 Dr's won't operate on Children that have gone undiagnosed. Further to that, if one of this little girls hips had taken and the other one hadn't, they would have had to do another operation to dislocate the working hip as there is only 1 chance at getting it working correctly! Wow, this little girl was now running and jumping and back to enjoying 7 year old life -so awesome! It was so nice to speak with another Mom and hear about her journey and a tough journey at that! While us parents were talking I looked over to check on Lauren who was sitting on my Mom's lap and that same little girl had started reading a book to Lauren - it was just far too cute!
Our Dr was finally ready for us, we first reviewed Brayden's ultrasound scans together. He was happy with the results and after a little check on Brayden's hips himself, he said he is all clear! We don't need to do any follow up on him until he is 2!
The last hurdle was to see if everything was ok with Lauren's x-ray and if her hip was still in the socket and in the correct position. I was so nervous reviewing the image with our Dr, if the hip was out it would be an emergency trip to the ER, repositioning of the hip, then re casting. Within about 1 min he said that he was very happy with her hip position and everything was looking great! YES!! Good news for both kids. Apparently if the hip was to dislocate it would have done it in these first few weeks. He then went on to say that he is trying to get OR time for the end of Oct as everything looks so good he doesn't want to wait till early Nov (his assistant already had time avail in Nov) to remove this cast. As well, the next cast will be far less restrictive and that things will be a little more normal with the next cast, she will be able to move from her knees down, she'll be able to wiggle a bit more and possibly stand!
Even though Garry and I both left the hospital feeling exhausted emotionally and physically, we left with all good news. Little Brayden isn't going to need to be placed in a harness and little Lauren is mending great! Our prayers were answered!
Thursday, 22 September 2011
...1 Week Down...
We made it through our first week! Yay! Baby steps right? Today we celebrated this with a little treat from Dairy Queen ~ would have loved to have celebrated by going to the park or by doing something special outside but it was not the best weather out! Little Lauren didn't seem to mind, she enjoyed a few spoonfuls of the child sized ice cream cone we shared while we celebrated with GG, Logan and Auntie. Daddy and Brayden celebrated with a nap on the couch! :)
When I first thought of putting a website together my first thought was how can I update as many people as possible with so little time in each day, blogging seemed perfect. Then, once we started down the Hip Dysplasia road, we noticed that there wasn't a lot of relevant information pertaining to tips or equipment that worked here in Canada. There was lots of info on people going through this in the UK and a few in the States. So, should you know of a family that is just starting on this journey please do pass this web page a long to them and let them know that we would love to chat with them and possibly help answer any questions they might have about this whole process! We would have loved to have been able to chat with someone prior to surgery about what we were getting into, just to make sure we were organized enough to bring Lauren home from the hospital.
Here is a picture of the dream table we ordered from an amazing lady named Stephanie in the States. After going through this twice with 2 of her 7 kids she created a table that worked for her child to eat, play or just hang out in. Spica casts don't allow you to just place your child anywhere due to the position of the legs (unless they are laying down), so having somewhere they can sit up right and play, eat or watch a tv show at is amazing! This table is worth it's weight in gold! The table was $200.00 plus shipping.
Here is her website: http://www.freewebs.com/arymanth/
She can sit up and watch a cartoon in the am!
She can create a work of art!
She can share the table with her cousin!
She can prep her meeting notes before...
getting on an important phone call...
Or, she can play with her fav GG & Logan!
Cappuccino anyone?
Thank you so much Grandma and Granddad for this awesome table!!!
Garry and I hunted high and low to find the perfect stroller. We were told that the cheap ones were the best; however with Lauren in the position she is, it made it really difficult to find one that worked. We ended up, 20 strollers later, finding this one. The fit couldn't be better and it comes with a rain cover that covers her legs, she can lay down and sleep in it and it is easy to push!! This stroller, although not the cheapest, is amazing. It is the Maxi-Cosi, Pearle. This one retails for $179.00 at Toy's R Us:
Thank you so much Great Grandma for this stroller, it will get a ton of use!
Whenever Lauren is grumpy and just needs a change of scenery we head outside. It was important that we have a fun toy that Lauren can ride on when not in the stroller. This little bike was a gift from Grandma and Granddad at Christmas. And with a quick seat belt modification along with a non stick mat placed onto the seat Lauren is ready to roll. This push bike retails for $99.00 at Toy's R Us.
Modified seatbelt.
The non stick rubber mat we use to put under Lauren's bottom.
For travel we tried to use our Britax, but unfortunately it just wasn't a great fit with the position Lauren's legs are held in. So, we were able to borrow this one from a friend. This should fit your child unless they are casted in a laying down position. This is the Sunshine Kids car seat and it retails for approx $300 at West Coast Kids.
Having the proper information ahead of time would make it a lot easier to benefit from searching for equipment on sites such as Craigslist or Kijiji. Hope this helps!
I have a few more tips I will try and include in the days to come, but for tonight sleep is prevailing! :)
When I first thought of putting a website together my first thought was how can I update as many people as possible with so little time in each day, blogging seemed perfect. Then, once we started down the Hip Dysplasia road, we noticed that there wasn't a lot of relevant information pertaining to tips or equipment that worked here in Canada. There was lots of info on people going through this in the UK and a few in the States. So, should you know of a family that is just starting on this journey please do pass this web page a long to them and let them know that we would love to chat with them and possibly help answer any questions they might have about this whole process! We would have loved to have been able to chat with someone prior to surgery about what we were getting into, just to make sure we were organized enough to bring Lauren home from the hospital.
Here is a picture of the dream table we ordered from an amazing lady named Stephanie in the States. After going through this twice with 2 of her 7 kids she created a table that worked for her child to eat, play or just hang out in. Spica casts don't allow you to just place your child anywhere due to the position of the legs (unless they are laying down), so having somewhere they can sit up right and play, eat or watch a tv show at is amazing! This table is worth it's weight in gold! The table was $200.00 plus shipping.
Here is her website: http://www.freewebs.com/arymanth/
She can sit up and watch a cartoon in the am!
Thank you so much Grandma and Granddad for this awesome table!!!
Garry and I hunted high and low to find the perfect stroller. We were told that the cheap ones were the best; however with Lauren in the position she is, it made it really difficult to find one that worked. We ended up, 20 strollers later, finding this one. The fit couldn't be better and it comes with a rain cover that covers her legs, she can lay down and sleep in it and it is easy to push!! This stroller, although not the cheapest, is amazing. It is the Maxi-Cosi, Pearle. This one retails for $179.00 at Toy's R Us:
Whenever Lauren is grumpy and just needs a change of scenery we head outside. It was important that we have a fun toy that Lauren can ride on when not in the stroller. This little bike was a gift from Grandma and Granddad at Christmas. And with a quick seat belt modification along with a non stick mat placed onto the seat Lauren is ready to roll. This push bike retails for $99.00 at Toy's R Us.
For travel we tried to use our Britax, but unfortunately it just wasn't a great fit with the position Lauren's legs are held in. So, we were able to borrow this one from a friend. This should fit your child unless they are casted in a laying down position. This is the Sunshine Kids car seat and it retails for approx $300 at West Coast Kids.
Having the proper information ahead of time would make it a lot easier to benefit from searching for equipment on sites such as Craigslist or Kijiji. Hope this helps!
I have a few more tips I will try and include in the days to come, but for tonight sleep is prevailing! :)
Monday, 19 September 2011
...Adapting...
One thing Garry and I said going into this journey was that we were going to try and keep Lauren's daily routine as close to normal as possible. Although we really didn't know what to expect when it came to casting positions, Lauren adjusting or equipment that would work, I think everything has really turned out well. I say that almost one week into our 12 week casting journey!
Lauren loved music class, so my goal this fall was to get her back into music on Fridays. Her first class was just last week. Garry and I talked about skipping it or taking her, we didn't really know how much she would enjoy it as she would only be 2 days post op (which meant pretty drugged up and still adjusting to the cast). But, since the class was only 2mins from home we decided to give it a go, if it didn't work then we would just excuse ourselves and head home. Well, it turned out that little Lauren was in her glory. She was dancing with her arms up and grooving to the music. She really enjoyed watching all of the other kids dance and shake their musical instruments as well. Even better was the fact that after the class she was exhausted and came home to enjoy a 2 1/2 hr nap! :)
One thing we rarely miss is Church! Unless someone is sick or we are out of town we skip it, but other than that we are pretty much there on a weekly basis. Lauren just loves the contemporary music, but her fav is she really loves seeing all of her wonderful friends - big and small! We normally have her in the service for the first and last part and let her enjoy the nursery toys during the sermon; however this week she lasted for the whole sermon and into the prayer! I was shocked at how well she was doing and also how happy she was to be there. I think if she could have, she would have joined the band up on the stage and clapped and danced during every song! It was wonderful to see her so happy! We love our Church family!
Over the past week we have really come to love our walks whether it be during the day or in the early evening after dinner. Garry and I have always tried to get the kids out at least 1-2 times a day for a good walk for as long as I could remember (even before Brayden). But now these walks have now become our saving grace and Lauren's too I think. Tonight Lauren woke up around 6pm from her 3hr nap a little grumpy. It seemed that she was frustrated that she couldn't walk and also just out of sorts possibly with teething etc. So, we packed the kids up and set off on our nightly stroll; Lauren on her pink trike and Brayden in his stroller. I was able to adapt a little push trike Grandma and Grandpa got Lauren for Christmas last year. I have added an extra long seat buckle on it as well as a no slip mat on the seat - we couldn't ask for a better fit for Lauren with that big cast. So, off we went throughout the neighborhood with the two kiddo's and the dog for close to two hours. Lauren's new thing is to hold the dog leash while on her trike and boss Freckles around. She moves the leash from one hand to the other depending on which side Freckles is walking. She yells out to him when he isn't keeping up or tugs on the leash if he needs to stay beside her. Garry and I just laugh at the little bossy boots we have on our hands, good thing Freckles is pretty easy going!
There are so many little things we took for granted when it came to Lauren's care pre casting. But now we are finding that we are having to be that much more attentive, pro active and organized and it is presenting a few challenges with two little ones, but we are coping and doing the best we know how (plus, it helps with Grandma and Granddad just across the street). One thing that has made this whole transition easier is we are just so lucky to have such an easy going little baby during all this - baby Brayden has just been a dream. He just needs love, food, cuddles and more food and he is happy! If we can continue to keep our two little ones smiling each day then I know we are doing ok and adapting to our new life together as a family!
Lauren loved music class, so my goal this fall was to get her back into music on Fridays. Her first class was just last week. Garry and I talked about skipping it or taking her, we didn't really know how much she would enjoy it as she would only be 2 days post op (which meant pretty drugged up and still adjusting to the cast). But, since the class was only 2mins from home we decided to give it a go, if it didn't work then we would just excuse ourselves and head home. Well, it turned out that little Lauren was in her glory. She was dancing with her arms up and grooving to the music. She really enjoyed watching all of the other kids dance and shake their musical instruments as well. Even better was the fact that after the class she was exhausted and came home to enjoy a 2 1/2 hr nap! :)
One thing we rarely miss is Church! Unless someone is sick or we are out of town we skip it, but other than that we are pretty much there on a weekly basis. Lauren just loves the contemporary music, but her fav is she really loves seeing all of her wonderful friends - big and small! We normally have her in the service for the first and last part and let her enjoy the nursery toys during the sermon; however this week she lasted for the whole sermon and into the prayer! I was shocked at how well she was doing and also how happy she was to be there. I think if she could have, she would have joined the band up on the stage and clapped and danced during every song! It was wonderful to see her so happy! We love our Church family!
Over the past week we have really come to love our walks whether it be during the day or in the early evening after dinner. Garry and I have always tried to get the kids out at least 1-2 times a day for a good walk for as long as I could remember (even before Brayden). But now these walks have now become our saving grace and Lauren's too I think. Tonight Lauren woke up around 6pm from her 3hr nap a little grumpy. It seemed that she was frustrated that she couldn't walk and also just out of sorts possibly with teething etc. So, we packed the kids up and set off on our nightly stroll; Lauren on her pink trike and Brayden in his stroller. I was able to adapt a little push trike Grandma and Grandpa got Lauren for Christmas last year. I have added an extra long seat buckle on it as well as a no slip mat on the seat - we couldn't ask for a better fit for Lauren with that big cast. So, off we went throughout the neighborhood with the two kiddo's and the dog for close to two hours. Lauren's new thing is to hold the dog leash while on her trike and boss Freckles around. She moves the leash from one hand to the other depending on which side Freckles is walking. She yells out to him when he isn't keeping up or tugs on the leash if he needs to stay beside her. Garry and I just laugh at the little bossy boots we have on our hands, good thing Freckles is pretty easy going!
Saturday, 17 September 2011
...Starting the countdown...
The day nurse advised me at 8:15am on Thursday (day after surgery) that once Lauren's car seat was brought up and approved by another special nurse on the ward that we were free to leave. I quickly called Garry and told him what car seat I wanted him to bring up as we were ready to get out of here. It's amazing how quickly you can adjust to a situation, specially after weeks of resisting it in your head. Lauren and I just walked around the ward like nothing had changed while waiting for Daddy. Lauren was a champ while I changed her diaper for my first time and allowed me to put her down while packing up the room. Wow, after hearing that "kids are so resilient" and actually wanting to say to people that I didn't want to hear that anymore and that I was so sick of that comment as this was going to be awful for my little baby~well, Lauren was proving them right and me wrong! :)
Trying to get Lauren to fit into her car seat was interesting. She is in a "froggy" position with one leg pulled back further than the other. I called all of the numbers in the Spica Cast informational booklet provided by the hospital to see if we could possible rent if not purchase the recommended car seat "Britax Hippo" or any of the "E-Z harnesses". Well, needless to say, that booklet was a waste of time with no real valuable information and the phone numbers of places provided no longer carried any approved car seats for special seating requirements or knew what I was talking about. Health Canada no longer rents/sells these car seats as there weren't enough renters so it wasn't profitable enough for them (effective Sept 2011). TJ's was just rude and had no idea what I was talking about and the last number there was no answer. Great, why have an informational booklet if there is no useful information? The nurses told us that Lauren kinda fit into her car seat and it would preferred if we went home via ambulance. No way, I had to find something that worked because for 3 months we weren't going to be home bound and having to transport her via ambulance to every medical appointment!
While walking around I spotted the community health nurse that had discharged Brayden and diagnosed Lauren with DDH or CDH. While holding Lauren on my hip I went up to her and asked her if her name was "Sue", told her who I was and she looked at me and said "I know, I'm here to see you guys!" I've never been so blunt with someone, but I told her that she wasn't Garry and my favorite person at the time, but over the last few weeks we had come to appreciate the horrible news she had given us about our little girl on Aug 3. Turns out that Sue had actually done her paper on DDH and that had Lauren not been diagnosed over the next few months she would have had to have had major surgery(s) once her condition be identified and funny enough once Lauren was diagnosed her limp lessened and it was harder to spot, so the chances of it being noticed sooner rather than later by anyone would have probably been slim to none. We are very grateful for meeting Sue, although she has thrown our lives in crazy turmoil for the moment, she has saved our daughter from years and years of medical issues some of which could have possibly included hip replacements, arthritis, major surgeries etc. That was a full circle moment for me, we had the closure with Sue that I wanted, it had crossed my mind to go and speak with her on the maternity ward and tell her now that we were so thankful!
Sue turned out to be a wonderful advocate for us that morning. I told her about our car seat situation and she was all over it. Her and I were shocked at the lack of resources for parents dealing with kids in spica casts. What does everyone expect us to do, just go home for 3 months and make due with nothing? That isn't the kind of parents Garry and I are, we tried to be organized and have as much stuff ready for Lauren coming home and knew that some additional stuff would need to be purchased once we try fitting her in the equipment (such as stroller, skateboard and car seat). I placed Lauren in the Britax Marathon car seat and showed the nurses that she fit, they weren't exactly pleased how she fit and thought that the transport should be our option. It was noted that I could actually refuse transport and call a taxi to take me and my daughter home with no car seat should I choose! I said, you don't have to give me an all clear, just know that she is not going anywhere in the car seat except home and that from there I will figure something out (she couldn't go anywhere with that cast and the straps being fully pulled out to secure her-she was pretty safe).
Our last few days home have been better than Garry and I thought they were going to be. My brother in law and Garry built the special spica cast table we pre ordered for Lauren and it has worked out great! http://www.freewebs.com/arymanth/ We ordered the purple rocking chair with the flowers and butterfly for Lauren. We asked to not have her name printed on it so that we can donate it to the hospital afterwards for another child to use during there treatment time.
We were able to swap car seats with a wonderful friend who has been so supportive (all of you Langely ladies have been amazing)! Lauren fits into the Sunshine Kids car seat perfectly and as it turns out her son didn't mind having to sit in Lauren Britax Boulevard car seat as he got to sit up high and see everything :) Thank you so much Jessi, Lauren is now safely able to travel out in the car much more comfortably.
The other awesome thing we have for Lauren that I was able to slightly modify for her to use while casted is her little push bike. Having her be able to go outside and get fresh air every few hours has really helped pass the time and make it more enjoyable for Lauren. Last night Nevan was over and he got to push "Boo Boo" all around! I'll take a picture once we go out again as it is just the perfect fit.
We have also borrowed Lauren's little friends wagon and are looking forward to trying that out later on today! The wagon we have has seats and there is no way of us fitting her in with the awkward casts in there, this other wagon is perfect as it is just one flat bed.
I also just want to give a shout out to our amazing friends and family. Without all of you, and you know who you are, we couldn't or should I say, I couldn't have made it this far. Your love, prayers, support, messages, dinners etc have been greatly appreciated and do not go unnoticed. It really takes a village to raise a child and we are so lucky that our "village" is made up of amazing, loving family and friends!! So thank you again! We feel so blessed!
Trying to get Lauren to fit into her car seat was interesting. She is in a "froggy" position with one leg pulled back further than the other. I called all of the numbers in the Spica Cast informational booklet provided by the hospital to see if we could possible rent if not purchase the recommended car seat "Britax Hippo" or any of the "E-Z harnesses". Well, needless to say, that booklet was a waste of time with no real valuable information and the phone numbers of places provided no longer carried any approved car seats for special seating requirements or knew what I was talking about. Health Canada no longer rents/sells these car seats as there weren't enough renters so it wasn't profitable enough for them (effective Sept 2011). TJ's was just rude and had no idea what I was talking about and the last number there was no answer. Great, why have an informational booklet if there is no useful information? The nurses told us that Lauren kinda fit into her car seat and it would preferred if we went home via ambulance. No way, I had to find something that worked because for 3 months we weren't going to be home bound and having to transport her via ambulance to every medical appointment!
While walking around I spotted the community health nurse that had discharged Brayden and diagnosed Lauren with DDH or CDH. While holding Lauren on my hip I went up to her and asked her if her name was "Sue", told her who I was and she looked at me and said "I know, I'm here to see you guys!" I've never been so blunt with someone, but I told her that she wasn't Garry and my favorite person at the time, but over the last few weeks we had come to appreciate the horrible news she had given us about our little girl on Aug 3. Turns out that Sue had actually done her paper on DDH and that had Lauren not been diagnosed over the next few months she would have had to have had major surgery(s) once her condition be identified and funny enough once Lauren was diagnosed her limp lessened and it was harder to spot, so the chances of it being noticed sooner rather than later by anyone would have probably been slim to none. We are very grateful for meeting Sue, although she has thrown our lives in crazy turmoil for the moment, she has saved our daughter from years and years of medical issues some of which could have possibly included hip replacements, arthritis, major surgeries etc. That was a full circle moment for me, we had the closure with Sue that I wanted, it had crossed my mind to go and speak with her on the maternity ward and tell her now that we were so thankful!
Sue turned out to be a wonderful advocate for us that morning. I told her about our car seat situation and she was all over it. Her and I were shocked at the lack of resources for parents dealing with kids in spica casts. What does everyone expect us to do, just go home for 3 months and make due with nothing? That isn't the kind of parents Garry and I are, we tried to be organized and have as much stuff ready for Lauren coming home and knew that some additional stuff would need to be purchased once we try fitting her in the equipment (such as stroller, skateboard and car seat). I placed Lauren in the Britax Marathon car seat and showed the nurses that she fit, they weren't exactly pleased how she fit and thought that the transport should be our option. It was noted that I could actually refuse transport and call a taxi to take me and my daughter home with no car seat should I choose! I said, you don't have to give me an all clear, just know that she is not going anywhere in the car seat except home and that from there I will figure something out (she couldn't go anywhere with that cast and the straps being fully pulled out to secure her-she was pretty safe).
Our last few days home have been better than Garry and I thought they were going to be. My brother in law and Garry built the special spica cast table we pre ordered for Lauren and it has worked out great! http://www.freewebs.com/arymanth/ We ordered the purple rocking chair with the flowers and butterfly for Lauren. We asked to not have her name printed on it so that we can donate it to the hospital afterwards for another child to use during there treatment time.
We were able to swap car seats with a wonderful friend who has been so supportive (all of you Langely ladies have been amazing)! Lauren fits into the Sunshine Kids car seat perfectly and as it turns out her son didn't mind having to sit in Lauren Britax Boulevard car seat as he got to sit up high and see everything :) Thank you so much Jessi, Lauren is now safely able to travel out in the car much more comfortably.
The other awesome thing we have for Lauren that I was able to slightly modify for her to use while casted is her little push bike. Having her be able to go outside and get fresh air every few hours has really helped pass the time and make it more enjoyable for Lauren. Last night Nevan was over and he got to push "Boo Boo" all around! I'll take a picture once we go out again as it is just the perfect fit.
We have also borrowed Lauren's little friends wagon and are looking forward to trying that out later on today! The wagon we have has seats and there is no way of us fitting her in with the awkward casts in there, this other wagon is perfect as it is just one flat bed.
I also just want to give a shout out to our amazing friends and family. Without all of you, and you know who you are, we couldn't or should I say, I couldn't have made it this far. Your love, prayers, support, messages, dinners etc have been greatly appreciated and do not go unnoticed. It really takes a village to raise a child and we are so lucky that our "village" is made up of amazing, loving family and friends!! So thank you again! We feel so blessed!
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